Master of Laws
Master of Laws is a title granted to the chief advisor to the ruling monarch of the Seven Kingdoms on matters relating to the laws of the land and the administration of justice. The occupant of this office has a seat on the small council. Role Up until the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, dispensing justice in a just, even-handed was not an altogether task: When Aegon the Conqueror was crowned the first King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, he decided to allow local laws set down by those who came before him remain as means to show due respect and thus muster the support from his new subjects. As a result, Aegon and his successors subsequently had to take heed to the laws and customs from more than a dozen regions, many of which could be vague, uncodified, subject to varying interpretations, and often even contradictory. In order for the decisions of the the reigning kings and queens of the Targaryen dynasty to be well balanced and in accordance with both the law and tradition, it fell to their councilors on such matters, the Master of Laws and the Lord Justiciar, to be aware of how all these laws interact and which laws applies where in order to advise the king accordingly, as well as assisting the Hand of the King in an advisory capacity when they draw up the King's laws to make sure they do not disregard local laws without due cause. It was not until the reign of Jaehaerys I, that the task of codifying, organizing, and reforming all the laws of the kingdom was ever properly addressed, an endeavor that took several decades to complete, yet ultimately lead to the first ever unified code of law in Westeros, making the job of said royal advisers significantly easier, who from that point on was only required to be well versed in the unified laws of the land. After the failed conquest of Dorne during the short-lived reign of The Young Dragon, the twelfth Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne, Daeron II, successfully unified Dorne under Targaryen rule by arranging the marriage of his cousin, Prince Daeron, to Princess Myriah Martell of Dorne as part of a dual marriage pact between the two kingdoms. On that day, however, it was also agreed that Dornish law would always rule in Dorne, giving the Master of Laws the additional responsibility of familiarity with Dornish views of law and justice. In recent times, with the role of Lord Justiciar having been long since deemed redundant and thus removed from the Small council, the Master of Laws has become the chief advisor on matters of law and justice. The City Watch of King's Landing presumably also falls under his purview, meaning that when a criminal were apprehended in the city, the (Lord) Commander of the City Watch would bring the matter to the attention of the Master of Laws. Duties Duties of the master of laws include: * Advising the King on the dispensing of justice by informing him on procedures, law, and customs. * Preparing and maintaining royal documents, such as pardons, grants, and bills of attainder. * Managing the dungeons at the Red Keep and supervising the King's Justice and the City Watch. * Oversees whatever other judicial offices and positions there might be in the royal bureaucracy. * Speak with the Master of Coin to agree upon matters such as fees and taxation laws. (Presumably). * Speaks justice in the name of the Crown in the absence of the King and/or his Hand. (Presumably). * It is likely to be customary for the Master of Laws to reside as one of the seven judges during trials. * The Master of Laws might also serve as the King's ambassador for settling far-flung disputes of nobility. * Hold court and listen to petitions, accusations and dispense justice for the Smallfolk in King's Landing. (Presumably, as leaving them to their own devices might cause a sense of neglect and spark rebellion or conflict.) History Lord Triston Massey served as Master of Laws to King Aegon I Targaryen. Lord Jasper Wylde was a Master of Laws during the Dance of the Dragons. He was executed by Rhaenyra Targaryen, as he sided with King Aegon II Targaryen. Books ''A Game of Thrones'' Lord Renly Baratheon was Master of Laws for his brother, King Robert I Baratheon. ''A Clash of Kings'' Renly vacates his position to push his own claim on the throne. His other brother, Stannis Baratheon, offers to name Renly as his Master of Laws if Renly supports his claim, but the offer is refused. After the Battle of the Blackwater, Ser Kevan Lannister was named as Master of Laws to King Joffrey I Baratheon. ''A Feast for Crows'' After the death of Lord Tywin Lannister, his daughter, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, renames the position as justiciar, after the style in the Free Cities. Ser Kevan abandons the position, and is replaced by Lord Orton Merryweather. He flees the city after Cersei's arrest by the Faith of the Seven. ''A Dance with Dragons'' Lord Randyll Tarly is named as the new justiciar for King Tommen I Baratheon.Category:Titles Category:Small council